Percy Harvin expected to get 10-15 snaps
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Percy Harvin (11) participates in organized team activities at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Percy Harvin will finally make his season debut, and he’ll do it against his former team as the Seahawks and Minnesota Vikings face off this afternoon. The Seahawks have been playing it very cautious with Percy Harvin, and I have to applaud Pete Carroll for doing that instead of drinking the Kool-Aid. He has brought along Harvin slowly with the knowledge that this team was good enough to slice through cupcake opponents without Harvin, and Harvin’s absence has also allowed other receivers to blossom. Golden Tate looks fully legit, Doug Baldwin is one of the most underrated wideouts in the game, and now Jermaine Kearse is coming into his own and definitely has Russell Wilson’s trust.
Harvin is going to make his much-anticipated 2013 season debut, but he’s still going to be on a pitch count. The NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that Harvin will receive around 10-15 snaps, and Rapoport added that he would be “surprised” if the Seahawks decided to allow Harvin to play on special teams. In his first game back and against a team as poor as the Vikings, it’s best not to risk Harvin playing special teams just yet.
It also makes total sense for Carroll and the Seahawks to put Harvin on a strict snap count, because the Seahawks have a bye week coming up before facing the New Orleans Saints in Week 13. That Saints game has major home-field ramifications, so it’s an important game for the ‘Hawks and will require all-hands-on-deck. They will need Harvin 100% for that game, and it’s wise to limit him in his first game back anyway. This should be regarded as a mere tune-up game for Harvin, which also means that fantasy owners should avoid starting him this week.
With stars Percy Harvin and Russell Okung back, the Seattle Seahawks just got even scarier.